Chemical Connection
by zzxya
Summary: After Hanji performs a dangerous experiment on Eren to unlock the secrets to his Titan, Eren and Levi find themselves trapped in each other's bodies. Confused the two must continue their lives without clueing the other members of the Survey Corps to their situation. Will they lose their minds do to the unexpected switch? Or will they learn to better understand each other?
1. Chapter 1

"Are you ready Eren?"

Eren shifted nervously in his chair, eliciting a low groan from the old worn wood. The candles flickered dimly on the table across from him. The atmosphere in the small humid room was so thick he felt as though he could almost grab it as it hung in the air above his head. He found himself only able to swallow nervously, making him feel cowardly and weak due to his own lack of confidence in the eccentric scientist before him. He could not quite source why he felt so uneasy, and it was starting to make him restless. A dark figure moved from its place in the corner of the room.

"Let's hurry this up Four-Eyes. I don't want to be here any longer than I have to and I'm sure the brat doesn't either." The Corporal emerged from the shadows of the confined space, his piercing black eyes trained on the auburn women just a mere foot away from where Eren sat. He did not sound even remotely annoyed, his tone was as emotionless as always; however, the scientist in front of him either did not hear him or was deliberately ignoring him.

"Oh I'm so excited! I began developing this experiment ever since we figured out about your _special_ abilities and I have never been happier to perform a test like this in my life! Of course there is always Sawney and Bean … but this could pave the way for new Titan advancements! I've run the numbers and checked the chemicals over a million times and I'm fairly certain that I have the correct procedure …" While Hanji continued her rant Eren found his mind wandering, retaking him down the road it took him to get into his current situation.

He recalled the moment he transformed into his Titan. Recollecting the overwhelming shock, the confusion, and the boiling rage he did not remember he had, only until the image of his mother flashed across his mind. Even thinking about it now sent a shockwave of mixed emotions through his mind. He knew now that this was how he was going to live for the rest of his life, with the fate of humanity and seemingly the weight of the world resting on his shoulders. It was a lot to take in so he decided the best thing to do at the time was to channel the turmoil inside of him into the missions he went on. At first he thought he was doing well but eventually Armin took the liberty of informing him that he could see right through his 'surprisingly fragile' mask and that he could see his mental state cracking slowly under the enormous pressure. Although he just agreed that his best friend was probably right, he had to admit it had bothered him best friend had, in essence, called him crazy.

The interest Hanji showed in unlocking the secrets to his Titan form was enough to stun him to silence. She was always interested to share her research with him, and he was willing to listen … most of the time. She began to express an interest in running tests on him and he was willing to participate in her cause. He honestly did not mind, she was only doing her job and with such enthusiasm and zeal that it had become something Eren found himself admiring her for. He felt the same passion for annihilating every Titan that he laid eyes on, and the ones beyond his vision. In fact he felt that way for every one of the damn things that existed. He wanted nothing more than to see them all evaporate into nothing after their worthless lives where terminated. If that meant that he had to go along with the meticulous experiments Hanji created to learn more about the unknown then so be it.

Then there was Levi.

Eren had honestly not expected that humanity's most powerful solider would have been willing to protect _him_ at all costs. He could tell Levi was doing the best he could when it came to Hanji and her experiments and Eren truly did appreciate his (Levi's) efforts. If she even mentioned the word 'pain' in a discussion of possible new experiments to try out he would shut her down with only a look. They appeared to be friends, so they would occasionally tease each other, but when Eren's safety was on the line Hanji knew to honor Levi's wishes. Needless to say he was very good at his job.

Eren respected the Corporal, but he could not help but feel that he was nothing but a liability to the shorter man. Levi had an entire squad to look after, aside from watching him, so he could not imagine why he would even bother with a 'brat', as he called him.

The question had been nagging Eren for some time now but he could never seem to gather up the courage to ask older man. He felt awkward and self-conscious around Levi due to the fact that if he lost control of himself Levi would end his short fifteen year life in an instant. It was a scary thought, even for a Titan-shifter, as he still had only begun his journey to defeat the Titan's. His aspirations could be shattered as quickly as slice through the neck. Eren knew Levi had killed more Titans than he could count, so why would he be any different?

"… I never thought that anything could go _that_ wrong but lone behold I have a dead Titan corpse evaporating right in front of my eyes. He sure was beautiful too! It was such a shame we-"

"Hanji, shut the fuck up. You've been talking for five minutes, hurry your shit up." Levi glared at Hanji, who looked slightly taken back by his words. She gathered herself quickly though, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

"Woops, looks like I got off on a tangent again … Oh well no big deal. Looks like mister impatient pants over there wants to get back to dusting his floor so I suppose I'll get a move on." Hanji smirked and turned on the balls of her feet to face the table behind her. Levi rolled his eyes but said nothing. Eren could only sit in his chair in awe, wondering what Hanji had spoken to him about while he had left the world of the living to evaluate his thoughts. He must have been thinking too hard about everything. But who could blame him?

Metal and glasses clanked dully as the seemingly mad scientist before him gathered all the necessary supplies to begin the experiment. Copper wires littered the table and coiled loosely around tall glasses filled with unidentifiable liquids. Countless papers of almost illegible notes were scrawled across each page strewn about the surface. Journals were stacked in small towers on the corners of the table with fringed papers lazily peeking out of the yellowed worn pages. He did not know how, but Hanji somehow managed to identify all the essential components needed to run her tests amid the chaos that was her work table. She pulled out two metal pans and began pouring various dark liquids into them. She wrapped a wire around an odd looking contraption that Eren could not quite see. Muttering a quick "Give me a second." She continued to work on assembling her mechanism while whispering incoherent phrases under breath.

Eren found his eyes wandering. It took him a second to register that his eyes had landed straight on Levi, who had shifted back slightly to the shadowed corner of the room, not wanting to get in the way. That or he was bored. Either one would not have surprised Eren. Levi stood silently watching Hanji prepare what she needed. His face was as stoic as usual, and Eren could not help but wonder what the man had seen outside the walls to make him the way he was now. Suddenly he slapped himself mentally, considering how inappropriate it would be to ask about the personal life of a Captain. It was hard enough for him talk about the events of his own past, he could not imagine the pain it might cause Levi (without him showing it of course) to talk about his years leading up to the present. Come to think of it Eren did not even know his superior's age …

Levi turned his head quicker than Eren could register. He stared back into the mysteriously dark eyes of the shorter man for slightly longer than intended before he pulled away as quickly as possible. What he did not see was that Levi raised a thin eyebrow in response to unexpected shyness of the younger boy. He was usually so headstrong and loudmouthed, was the nature of this experiment unnerving to him? Whatever it was only bothered Levi for a second before his attention shifted back to Hanji. She had stopped muttering under breath and addressed Eren.

"Ok, I am just going to attach this wire ring with two of the two wires on the sides onto your head. Don't move a single muscle. If you even so much as bat an eye you might disrupt the measure of electromagnetic impulses from your brain. It shouldn't hurt … I can't imagine why it would. It's only heated a little bit. But don't move and we won't have to worry about it ok?" She smiled sincerely as she carefully placed the ring in the right position atop his head. Eren heard a short _tsk_ behind her.

"Cut the crap Hanji, you've already scared the kid shitless." Hanji turned around and gave Levi an incredulous look, but he was not looking at her. He was eyeing the materials on the table. They really did not look safe … but he had to trust that the scientist before him knew what she was doing.

"Ok, fine you can move, but not too much. You hear me? If the readings are interrupted this entire experiment could go to waste! I'm sure both of you wouldn't want that as much as I wouldn't." She didn't sound annoyed, rather mildly amused at Levi's consistent impatience. She turned around to face Eren again, this time she held a rather odd looking object in her hands. It was some sort of glass cup with leather bands slipped through holes in the sides. The strange item would not have worried Eren at any other time but once he noticed the fabric tube extending from a hole cut in the glass he found himself panicking internally. What was this mad woman planning?

"I'm just going to put this around your mouth so don't freak out. You can still breathe, hence the tube. I'm going to filter in different chemical gases and gauge the reactions I can observe … Don't look at me like that none of them are supposed to be _that_ deadly! I've tested enough chemicals and I found several I hypothesize will hopefully trigger a reaction within your Titan shifting impulses. The chemicals will hopefully ignite the synapses that connect you to your Titan. Granted we still don't know how your father managed to get Titan DNA inside of you, I would kill to know what is in your father's basement, so therefore I can't even say for certain where the reaction is triggered in your brain. Science is only so concrete; sometimes we have to take a leap of faith. I take full reasonability if you die," She winked at Eren much to his horror, "But you're a tough young man aren't you?"

"O-of course." Eren stuttered, his voice hoarse from hardly speaking this evening. She grinned wildly.

"Don't be so scared. I'm pretty well versed in the sciences so I can't imagine anything going out of my hands."

"Don't be so cocky Four-Eyes. You can hardly guarantee your own safety while running your experiments, what makes you think you can guarantee his?" Levi scoffed. Hanji turned around slowly.

"You may be right about that but you know firsthand how much endangering myself has benefited the rest of humanity. I don't care what it takes." She pointed a finger accusingly at the shaded source of the voice. He could barely make out Levi's still stoic expression. Levi sighed.

"I prefer you not endanger the kid. I was charged with keeping him in line and if you end up killing him how will that reflect on me?" So Eren was right. Levi did not care, so long as his duty was fulfilled. It did not really bother him (Eren) … it was actually good to know. Although he was glad to finally have a clear idea of what the Captain thought of him, Eren started to grow impatient from the stalling of the experiment. They had gone through all the preparations for this?

"Can we continue with the experiment?" Eren interjected, instantly feeling two pairs of eyes fall on him. Hanji looked from Levi to Eren a few times before gathering her thoughts. Levi looked at Eren indifferently.

"Yes you're right Eren, looks like I let my concentration switch from the task at hand. Let me just get a few more things in order." She began grabbing more foreign objects and containers, mixing chemicals and labeling charts. After a few short, tense minutes Hanji spoke quickly and clearly.

"Alright, I've finally got all my things in order. I apologize for my disorganization. Ok hold still, don't speak, and clear your mind. If you feel any pain or discomfort at all bat your eyes five times fast. I prefer that be the only move you make, after all the less the better! Alright I'm going to light the mixtures in the pan right here," She pointed to the inside of a funnel connected to the end of the fabric tube, "and when I do the liquid will start to melt and the gases released will, ideally, travel up through and into the mask you are wearing. It might smell unpleasant but that's only natural to the chemicals needed for this experiment. I'm going measure the amount of heat that is admitted through the wires around your head after I light the chemicals … this should give a clue as to whether or not your Titan is responsive to chemical stimuli. Again, if you feel uncomfortable at any time bat your eyes five times. Whew … I've talked enough, now it's time to let science have its turn!"

Hanji was giddy with excitement as she lit the wooden match and held it above the metallic liquids below. The silvery mixture sparkled under the low light of the flame looking sinisterly beautiful considering its purpose. Hanging it low enough to almost graze the surface of the thin liquid Hanji, watched for a considerable amount of time, waiting for any signs of evaporation. Finally the mixture began to sizzle and steam, releasing fumes straight into the tube as planned. Hanji and Levi could only watch as more time passed without a significant change in Eren's behavior, the heat of the wires, and the chemicals themselves.

"_Well this was a pointless._" They the two thought in unison.

Unannounced to pair, Eren was experiencing something just as mysterious as the strange liquids that somehow burned before him. An itchy sensation planted itself into the back of his head, annoying him to no end and breaking his focus. Hanji was right, the chemicals did have a foul odor and he found himself lightheaded and sluggish. He tried to blink away the dizziness but his eyes hurt inside and he could not bring himself to do such a trivial task. His vision progressively became splotchy. His nose burned and his mouth was as dry. It was not quick, but the changes he began feeling throughout his body slowly caused panic to swell inside of his chest. Seeing as to that his mind was seemingly shutting down, he could not remember for the life of him what he had been instructed to do in case he felt this way. Eren tried to speak but once again found it too painful to even complete the action in its simplest form. It would not have mattered anyway. He could not even remember what he had wanted to say.

Then, in a sharp contrast to the gradual distress he had felt, a stab of almost unbearable pain ignited within the back of his mind. His lips finally parted as he gasped for air in shock and agony. Hanji and Levi both sprang into action quickly, Hanji dropped the match into the pan and Levi was at her side in the blink of an eye. He could see their mouths moving, mostly likely asking him if he was alright, but he could not respond. The pain was constant and sharp, and it felt as though the very tissues of his brain were being burned inside of him. He could feel the heat of the wire ring around his head which only added to his agony as it burned into the soft skin of his scalp beneath his slowly charring hair. Black mixed with red as each wave of pain caused the boy to cringe violently. Sweat beads formed across his forehead as he tried to hold back the screams welling up inside his throat but it was losing battle.

And then Eren screamed.

He screamed a blood curdling scream that could most likely be heard throughout the entire lower basement and maybe even the rest of the stone complex. Hanji and Levi both stared in horror as the young boy in front of them bent forward in an almost unnatural way in the wooden chair. He attempted to grab ahold of his head several times but found he could not due to the excessive heat from the wires that trapped him in a glowing web. The lustrous liquid continued to bubble and boil inside the pan on top of the table. Candle lights flickered and even the shadows themselves could not escape the tortured screams of the agonized Titan shifter.

Levi was the first to regain his senses. In seconds he was at Eren's right violently shoving his shoulder, quickly glancing over the boy's face which was marred with pain. It was written across his unblinking eyes; something was inflicting pain inside of him, the real question was what? Could it be the dangerous chemicals that could have attacked his bloodstream? Or could it have been possible that Hanji had induced the reaction she had hoped for, igniting a response to Eren's Titan? Whatever the reason was could wait to be discovered because at the moment it appeared that Eren might not even live through this violent episode.

"What the hell is wrong with you Eren? Why the fuck are you screaming?! What happened?" He shouted uselessly at the younger boy. The raven haired man quickly shot his head back around to the auburn haired woman who was now scrambling to write something down in an old notebook.

"Hanji you need to fucking do something to stop this! For God sakes you can't be writing notes!" Levi struggled to be heard above Eren's deafening screams. Hanji was wide eyed as her hand glided blindingly fast across the yellowed parchment. She seemed to have only partially heard what he said.

"This is what I was waiting for! I did it! I sparked a reaction within a Titan!" She had a mad glint in her eyes that Rivaille had never seen before. She was their only chance at stopping whatever this response Eren was having to the chemicals and she was too blind by her research to see that it was _damaging_ him. Motivated solely by the adrenaline that coursed through his veins, Levi began to reach for the glass mask that covered the boy's face. His usually skilled fingers fumbled to grab ahold of the leather straps that held the mask in place. He nearly had the clasp behind his head undone but at that moment Eren jerked his head up from yet another wave of pain, colliding with Levi's jaw. The impact sent him whirling; his back smacked against the stone floor with a hard thud. Stunned and slightly confused, he watched in horror at the scene before him.

A trail of red began to blossom it's from Eren's nose. The color was so vibrant and sharp compared to the dull, numbing atmosphere of the room. Eren's cries of pain echoed off the walls making the sound even more deafening. He wanted nothing more than to end the boys suffering so that in turn his would end as well.

It took only seconds for Levi to launch himself back into action. He did not know what the repercussions of his actions would be but he took the risk none the less. He grabbed at wires that sat atop the boy's head, glowing hot and resembling that of a demented halo. God was laughing at him again and he knew it. As his hands clamped down around the scathing metal he felt something he could not quite explain push into his mind. It had the power of a dull headache but it seemed to push _into_ his mind instead of emanating from it. It felt almost like being underwater in a glass cage with someone pounding on the external surface.

Levi could faintly hear deep voices in the back of his mind, saying incoherent things he knew he would never understand. The burning in his fingers reduced to a mild tingling and numbness over swept every nerve in his brain. He tried to tighten his grasp on reality but only found himself slipping further into the dark void surrounding his consciousness. This confusion in his mind was foreign to him. He was used to having a focus sharper than knives and wits as fast as the beats of a hummingbird's wings. It was not like him to panic because he usually had any situation, no matter how dangerous, under control. But this was beyond his reach. This was something he did not understand.

A flash of immense pain pierced deep into the back of his brain, causing him to bark out a curse of pain. Within seconds everything went black.

…

"Eren! Eren! Are you ok? Eren answer me!" Hanji shouted hysterically as she shook the limp shoulder of the boy aggressively.

The boy abruptly opened his eyes. Hanji peered over her glasses straight at the distorted reflection of herself painted across his cornea. Suddenly his greenish-blue eyes narrowed and his eyebrows pulled together, the expression looked eerily out of place in comparison to his usually livid features. He coughed up a small pool of blood across his shirt as he weakly propped himself up on one elbow.

"Why the hell are you calling me Eren, Four-Eyes?"


	2. Chapter 2

{A/N: Sorry I didn't have any notes last chapter guys, I'm still trying to get used to FanFiction!

And now I present to you ... Chapter Two!

Sorry, it took a little longer than expected. In a perfect world I could be updating every week but we obviously don't live in such a world. If we did Attack on Titan probably wouldn't even exist T-T ...

I would also like to thank my two Betas, Cr and Juniperjadelove, for being freaking awesome and helpful!

Thank you for all of your kudos and bookmarks, they truly make my day~! I hope you enjoy! There is a really important disclaimer at the bottom so be sure to read it!}

Impossible. 

Hanji stared wide eyed at the boy before her, paralyzed by the words that had just escaped his lips. Was he joking? There was no way he could be serious. The damage from the chemicals must have been much more severe than she had initially thought. She slowly began to panic. 

How could he even speak? How was he functioning? It was clear that he had subsequently fallen unconscious after she had seen Levi approach him. He had not been able to speak through his screams of agony before so why was he so mysteriously coherent now? Why had her experiment not worked? She had run the numbers and calculated every outcome at least a dozen times! 

"Haha that's very funny Eren. Now cut the crap. You have just been through a traumatic series of events I need to know how you are feeling. Do you feel sick? Any dizziness? Blurry vision?" As Hanji continued her questions, annoyance subtly edged its way between each word. Eren only continued to watch her through narrowed eyes. This made her slightly uncomfortable, but she also contributed that to the hell she had just witnessed less than an hour ago. Her nerves were definitely frayed from the screams she had endured. Suddenly she realized she had begun to grow surprisingly impatient at his silence. He only stared at her though, a disconnected glint behind the cold blue of his irises. She wanted to shake him into focus but thought better of it. He was still confused … he had to be

… 

"I'm a little dizzy … and stop calling me Eren! We've lived four years of our lives fighting side-by-side how the fuck could you mistake me for the brat?" That voice was not Eren's. The sound came from the boys vocal chords, but the coldness in his tone was foreign. Hundreds of faces flashed across Hanji's brain but instantly the one that matched that icy tone found its way to the front of her mind. Only it did not add up. The face that had surfaced belonged to the only other man in the room. 

Impossible. 

Hanji turned her head to the right when she heard a low groan of pain break the silence. A head of tangled dark hair slowly emerged through the mix of wires and chemicals that had pooled on the ground. A large black and purple bruise had begun to form on the bottom of his jaw and blood trickled lazily out his nose. He looked like a mess and Hanji was not above telling him so. 

"Oh my God Levi what happened to you too? You look like shit! I couldn't see what happened from where I was." Surprisingly the older man's usually expressionless features contorted with confusion, displaying his inner feelings openly to her for the first time she had ever witnessed. Nothing added up. Nothing made sense. Levi cringed then grabbed his head with his one free hand. 

"What …? What on earth happened?" His response was dazed. It was so unlike him to appear so confused and vulnerable. She quickly looked from Levi to Eren. 

"The experiment … Eren's reaction … Levi …" Hanji stared at the young boy, but her eyes were not seeing him. Her thoughts raced a mile a minute as she attempted to fully understand the problem at hand. She tried mentally connecting the dots over and over again but every time she stepped back to look at the product it was simply a mess of worthless lines and dots. Flustered, she examined the two males again this time taking in every inch of their surroundings. 

"You said you wanted me to stop calling you Eren. If that's the case, what _do_ you want me to call you?" Her words were slightly teasing, bordering on taunting. The boy at her side scoffed in an amused manner. 

"That's the stu-" He coughed violently, spraying a fine sheet of blood across his hands, "s-stupidest fucking question you have ever asked me." He tried to sit himself up fully, only to fall weakly back onto his elbows. Hanji held a hand out to steady him but he swatted her away. She pouted childishly. 

"Call me by my name. Lance Corporal Levi Rivaille." 

All was quiet for several long minutes. Hanji could not believe it! He had said what she thought he would, but none the less she found herself growing giddy at the possible that begun forming itself in her mind. The look in those green-blue eyes was also similar to that of the typical Levi's, as his characteristically stone hard expression had crept its way onto Eren's features. It aged him a solid two years at the least. 

"Hanji, can you please explain to me why I'm looking at my body." Levi asked from behind her. Or was it Eren? She did not even know. Her mind was so occupied she could hardly focus on the situation at hand. Her mind wandered back down the road of only an hour ago. So many clouded thoughts … Why was it that every time a logical conclusion could be made for the transpiring events she came back to the one possibility? She was not even sure her generating hypothesis was correct but it was the only option, logical or not. And it sure as hell was exciting! 

"I think," A goofy smile crept its way onto her face, "You two switched bodies!" 

… 

Eren's body jumped forward, fingers intertwined into the collar of the scientist's jacket. He narrowed his eyes even more and nearly snarled. 

"Tell me you are lying!" The snap behind his words scrapped through his clenched teeth. 

"Oh my God this is amazing! What a leap forward in science! I can't even believe it!" 

"No it's impossible. That can't happen, that _doesn't_ happen." 

"Think about Levi! You're not even in your own body! What other explanation do we have? I ran through every possible scenario but it all comes back to this. Granted I have no idea how this happened or why, but come on!? Tell me if you can come up with a better explanation for why your body is sitting across there looking right at you because I sure as hell can't! Wow this incredible!" 

Slowly, the boy's fingers untangled from the stiff fabric of the tanned jacket. He let out a frustrated sigh and ran a hand through his hair, now moist with beads of sweat. As if the situation was not already confusing enough, Hanji was having a hard time deciding just what to call him. Would she address him as Levi? Eren? He was in Eren's body but did that not still make him the same cleaning obsessive, stoic faced Captain she had come to know over the years? Those thoughts among others clouded her mind as she nearly bounced in place. 

"What do you suggest we do?" Two sets of eyes quickly turned to the man perched amid the web of wires created from the science experiment. Levi's graphite eyes shone with twinge of sparkling fear, something that almost seemed incomprehensible to Hanji, of course only until the events of a mere hour ago. His mouth hung open in a small 'o' shape. He still had not managed to sit up, but he continued to try, only to either end of coughing up obscene amounts of blood or to become overwhelmingly light-headed. Hanji jumped up to help him with shaking hands. Unlike the other, he graciously accepted the gesture. 

"I'm sorry you two … I don't know how I can help. But come on, you have to admit this is pretty cool! Come on think of all the fun you could have!" 

An exasperated sigh escaped Eren's lips. He looked at her then to Levi, or to say more accurately, his own body. All traces of emotion disappeared from his as well as the other boy's face. They clearly were in shock. She could practically see the weight of the issue land hard on their shoulders. Hanji watched them both, not sure what to say to ease the almost physically visible tension of the room. She was still giddy with excitement but she could see the distress on both of the male's faces. She addressed the man who now occupied Eren's body. 

"As much as this excites me, I'll do everything I can to get you back into your own body Sir." 

Eren's head quickly swung up, his strangely icy eyes clearly displayed his shock. The auburn haired woman smiled genuinely. She knew why he was shocked, which meant that the person who stared back at her was without a doubt the Captain. Her mannerisms with the man were usually taunting and playful, but whenever she addressed him a 'Sir' it meant she was serious about the issue at hand. She usually never used such a respectful title outside of their missions but this time was different and they both knew it. 

He did not comment. Neither of the boys did. All was still in the cramped room aside from the occasional 'plop' from a drop of liquid chemicals into a shining silver puddle. 

Hanji prayed silently that she would be able to keep her promise to Levi and that she would be able to gather all the fascinating data she was certain there was, but she knew she was praying to no one. God had left them long time ago. 

… 

Eren stared at the two people in front of him. How? Nothing could sum up the questions that swam inside his head better than that one syllabled word. Everything Hanji had said echoed his own thoughts; aside from coming to the conclusion that he and Levi had actually _switched_ bodies. As much as it feared him to admit it she was right, it was the only way to explain this phenomenon. But then again she had said herself that it was illogical and should not even be possible. Let alone there he was. Looking back into his very own eyes. 

He honestly would not have even recognized them as his own had he not examined the rest of the body that sat tense in the wooden chair. And the only way he recognized it was because he had _just_ been sitting in that chair. To think he would have been able to identify his own face better than anyone else … 

A brief flicker of the past replayed itself across his clouded mind. It was quick, but it was just enough to stir the anger he constantly hauled around inside his mind. His mother, buried underneath the ruble of the place they had once called home. Her face distorted in pain with tears staining her face. The ugly smile of the Titan as it lifted her up and chewed her body greedily. Red petals of blood danced gracefully across the sky. 

He felt something twitch in the back of his mind. It was subtle, but enough to reignite the spark of his fierce hatred for the Titans. He remembered why he had originally joined the Survey Corps; that feeling like he was nothing but a helplessly trapped animal waiting to eaten alive. He finally snapped out of his initial shock from the news of the switch. How could he defeat all of the Titans in someone else's body? More importantly would he let that be reason why he would not? 

Hanji had begun ranting about the possibilities and benefits of being in each other's bodies but Eren could not hear her. Only one thought consumed his mind. 

"How am I supposed to defeat all of the Titans like this?" Eren blurted out his thoughts. The words hung in the air, echoing in his mind. Even though Levi's body was not his own, he was sure there must be some perks to inhabiting it. After all, Levi was humanity's strongest solider for a reason. He was quicker than Eren, and definitely more skilled too. Maybe it was for the best? 

"I don't know. It's hard to say what you will and will not be able to do in each other's bodies. I will need to run some more tests to check chemical levels, electromagnetic output, brain functionality, and so on. I need to develop the tests as well as preform them so you will have to give me a considerable amount of time. We need to stay optimistic though! You both could have some good fun like this!" Hanji winked at the man inside Eren's body. 

"Optimism? Seriously? Plus that doesn't sound like a good idea considering the results of your most recent test. And quit being a pervert!" Eren's voice was nearly a growl as it was muttered from the man in the chair. 

"Well what do we do until then?" Eren directed his question to the women in front of him. He could hear the voice that spoke the words he thought. It was most definitely Levi's. Deeper than the one he was used to, as well as monotone and blunt. He wondered if any emotion would ever betray such a tone, whether it was a cry in pain or annoyed jab. Hanji merely shrugged. 

"Like I said I will have to develop the necessary procedure as well collect data from the experiment. I can't say how long that will take or what needs to be done in the meantime … All I can do is suggest that you two continue your lives as you would normally. I mean look on the bright side! Since you're in Levi's body Eren, you might even be able to allow us to see his smile for once! Maybe even something else too if you know what I mean." She wiggled her eyebrows playfully. The two males gave the scientist an incredulous look. 

"_She's officially crazy."_ They both thought in unison. 

"Look, I know it's easier said than done, but what other options do we have?! It's not like brooding will get us anywhere!" At the sight of their unamused expressions she groaned and placed a hand on her forehead, "I've got a long couple of weeks ahead of me don't I?" Eren watched his face contorted into a dark almost-smirk. 

"You think you've got it rough?" Hanji looked at him then laughed loudly. 

"Yeah, who am I kidding? It's hard to even imagine what you are going through. You both seem to be taking better than I would have expected. Even though I think I have every right to be proud of myself because humanity may be thanking me later for my contribution to Titan research." 

All was quiet again as the others retreated to their own thoughts. Hanji counted some things on her fingers, muttering softly and grinning madly. The atmosphere was still tense and the room had grown increasingly stuffy and warm. He needed to go outside. He needed to clear his head. 

"I'm going outside." He stated simply. The two looked at him as he stood. Hanji began to stand as well but she grabbed his hand instead of walking out with him. He stared at her, not sure whether or not to pull away forcefully or to listen to what she had to say. 

"Eren?" Her tone was excited, yet there was a hint of questioning so he nodded, "Eren I need you to stay so we can work this out! Granted there isn't much I can think of that we _can_ do but either way I need you here!" Brown hair across from him nodded in agreement. 

"As much as I hate to admit it, she's right. I can't have you walking around in my body making a fool of _me_ or even getting yourself hurt." His words were dull. Eren could feel the annoyance surging inside him threatening to spill out. Clearly Levi only cared about what happened to his body, but could Eren not say the same for himself? He did not want any of his friends becoming suspicious of the way Levi behaved. Least of all Mikasa and Armin, who would most likely be able to spot any changes in his behavior like a storm cloud on a sunny day. He did not want any of his friends being dragged into this mess. It was incredibility complicated and difficult to explain anyways. Scratch that. There was nothing _to_ explain. Everyone in the room was at a loss for an explanation. How could they even consider telling the others if they did not even understand the situation themselves? Dammit, he needed to clear his head! 

Eren yanked back his arm, earning a startled yelp from Hanji. He could not listen to this anymore. 

"Eren! No stop!" 

With an angry huff, Eren turned quickly to make a break for the door. No one made a move to stop him. He ran down the corridor, up the stairs and out into the fresh outside air. He paused for only a second to make sure no one was wandering about. It was would be rather awkward if he had to explain to one of Levi's subordinates why angry tears had begun to form in the corners of his eyes. Sniffing back the tears that threatened to fall Eren took off running. To where, he had no idea. Somewhere. Anywhere but that stuffy room where nothing made sense and his mind felt numb. 

Eren finally paused to take a look at where he had ended up. It was a small garden, it reminded him of one he had passed many times on his way back home from the market when he was a child. It only looked familiar; the garden he remembered was all the way back in Shinganshina. The crisp blades of green grass slide delicately across each other. He could feel himself ready to snap. Why must he be so confused? Why did this have to happen? It was a beautiful day and that only added to the mockery he felt weighed on his shoulders. Breathing slowly, in and out, he lowered himself onto his knees. He looked down. Two small flowers swayed in the breeze. Their stems were intertwined, and their colors complemented each other almost perfectly. "_At least there are something's things that are the same as always."_ Eren thought. 

Too absorbed in the black hole that was his mind, Eren did not even notice the quiet shuffling of gravel approach him. 

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Eren jumped. 

"I-I was … I needed to clear my head." He muttered, his eyes not leaving the flowers. 

"Do you think you can just walk out on your superior officers you shit-faced brat?" The man who stood above him spat. Eren stared at him dumbfounded. 

"Heichou I … I'm just confused." He balled his hands into fists. Well, more like Levi's hands. Gravel crunched beneath heavy feet as the tall brunet grabbed a fistful of his hair, forcing him to look up. Eren stared at his own face which was only inches away. 

"And you don't think I _am_ as well?" Levi hissed, "Listen to me, don't you think even for a second you're the only one who knows what this feels like. I'm in the same position you are so suck it up and be a man goddammit." 

Eren's face grew hot with anger. Suck it up? Take it like a man? Was he not allowed to be confused? Was he not allowed to experience something that was a part of human nature? "No you listen to me!" The iron strong grip on his hair slacked some as the eyes that glared at him grew wide with shock, "How the hell am I supposed to stay calm in a situation like this?! I'm sorry I can't be as serious and unfazed as you Captain but some of us can actually feel! I'm striving for something important to me and for humanity, and I can't reach my goal now because of this mess!" Through his shouts tears began to flow freely. He glared at the man in front of him, seeing Levi's cruel gaze returned behind his own eyes. His face darkened and his glare was harder and icier than he had ever seen it. Unexpectedly, Levi shoved him violently, causing him to stumble backwards as he released his hold on Eren. He landed in the dazzling sea of green and looked up shocked. Once more to his surprise he was face to face with his own features, although hardly recognizable through the anger that enveloped it. Levi grabbed the collar of the shirt that was his only an hour ago. Eren winced, the extent of his words finally reaching his own ears. 

"How dare you fucking accuse me of not being able to feel you sack of shit! I've heard your sorry ass story before, don't you sing that line to me. I can't say I know _exactly_ how you feel but I can tell you I've got a pretty damn good idea! You don't know shit about why I do what I do! You've got some balls thinking you're the only one with a rough past kid! What the fuck is being angry about how we are now going to do?! It's not like anything's going to change! You think if you bitch about it enough that you will feel better. BE A SOILDER FOR FUCK'S SAKE!" Levi screamed, his face red. Eren was shocked beyond words. Where had the calm collected Levi he had always known disappeared to? Granted he realized what he said, and if anyone had said that to him, he would have ripped their throat out in a heartbeat. 

And he knew Levi was capable of just that. 

He leaned just a little bit closer as he whispered harshly, "Don't you ever speak to your Captain like that ever again. Whether it be me or any other Captain you may serve down the road, if you even live long enough." 

Eren looked at the dirt in between the grass below his fingers as Levi stood up. What the hell was he thinking? Stupid! He knew next to nothing about this man, how could even think those words he had yelled? The shame of the situation hit him like a ton bricks. 

"Heichou … I … I don't know what … I'm sorry Captain." It was the best he could do. Could anything fix this? Could anything be worse?! 

Levi gave him a look of disgust along with a short '_tsk_'. Eren sat up then shuffled to his feet, all while not looking the other man who occupied his body directly in the eyes. It was weird, like being afraid of his own reflection. Except his reflection was darn right menacing as his eyes bore holes straight through him. 

"You better fucking be. Don't you go thinking I forgive you because it's going to take a lot more than half-assed apology to be even worth considering. If you ever even think of spouting shit like that again you can be certain that you in a lot more pain than from just tripping on your ass into the dirt. Now we need to get back. Hanji's probably having a mental break down right now and I can't even look at you, you're filthy as fuck." Levi turned on heel and began to walk down a street Eren could hardly even remember taking to get here. He began to cautiously follow, not saying a word for fearing the wrath of humanity's strongest solider. 

But there was one question that had begun to eat at him. Was it even worth it to ask? 

"Say, um Levi Heichou. How did you know where I was?" Eren instantly bit his tongue. Stupid! 

Levi did not turn around. 

"Lucky guess. Now shut the hell up and walk faster."

{A/n: Oh ho ho were you expecting that?

I hope this chapter was consistent with the last. It was actually surprisingly hard for me get going. I got my computer taken away multiple times (Don't argue with your parents, it never turns out good), lost my direction with the chapter and life straight up got in the way. Any who, I'm off to work on the next chapter! Comments, kudos, and bookmarks are greatly appreciated!

*DISCLAIMER: Keep in mind Eren is now in Lev's body and vise versa. Characters will address them as they seen them. Eren will be addressed as Levi and Levi will be addressed as Eren. The POV does switch occationally, so if anyone needs me to mark who's speaking then please notify me.*}


	3. Chapter 3

They walked in deafening silence. An awkward air surrounded them as they walked down the dusty stone road. Neither of the two had said a word since they decided to return to the lab.

Eren hung his head, ashamed of the words he had spoken.

Would the Corporal hate him now? Did his words sting too hard and cut too deep? Maybe if he knew more about his superior he would have known to bite his tongue. He could not blame the man for not telling off him though. He knew the feeling of having a complicated past and it was not one he enjoyed, let alone talking about. Besides, Levi had never been one to display his emotions on a silver platter and he had to admit he preferred that it stayed that way. At least when he was not yelling at him. Even though he knew full well that he deserved every word that had been thrown at him.

Still, his heart warped into a guilty little ball.

Insensitivity was something he hated. People did not understand why he was the way he was. The same goes for Mikasa as well. They both had a past they did not want to speak about, simple as that. Some people just did not understand. Yet here he was, accusing someone he knew nothing about as being heartless and emotionless. And this _someone_ was his Captain too.

Hanji stood pacing in front of the dark stone building. She was probably muttering something too but they could not hear from their distance. She looked up briefly, then looked away, only to do a double-take.

"Levi! Eren!" She called. She began running to meet them and most likely scold Eren for running off. Expecting the worst Eren cringed inwardly. Much to his surprise, the boy was greeted with a strangling hug/glomp instead of harsh words. Like the ones Levi had spoken to him.

"Oh my god Levi I was worried sick! I thought you both had left me or something rash like that! Don't ever do that again! I was about to have a heart attack!" She breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Eren stiffened, realizing whose name she had called him by.

"Erm – Um … Hanji, its Eren remember?" He whispered out of breath. Hanji jumped back. The look in her eyes instantly went from excited to embarrassed. She chuckled.

"Oh right! Sorry, Eren! Jeez this is going to take some getting used to …" She stuttered wiping an invisible layer of dust off her thighs. A few people walking by paused, taking notice of the three's military uniforms. Hanji, actually being somewhat observant, immediately began to take notice of the unwanted attention. If they spoke any louder about what had happened people would most likely begin asking questions. Questions they most certainly could _not_ answer.

"Hey," She lowered her voice and beckoned the two to come closer. They complied and she spoke, "I think we should head inside." She flicked her eyes up briefly at the passersby's. Eren and Levi caught the subtle notion and looked in the direction Hanji had.

"Look at you being observant and addressing the situation properly for once in your life shitty glasses. Yes you're right, we should get inside." Levi deadpanned. Hanji made a pouting face.

"You give me so little credit Captain." With that she turned on heel and made her way inside. Eren and Levi followed her through the corridors and down the stairs. Eren paused as they passed the last set of stairs that lead down into his 'room' (it was basically a dungeon). The Corporal caught him looking down the descending steps and grunted, signaling for him to continue instead of just standing there.

"Levi Heichou, will I have to sleep down there now that I'm in your body?" The question was innocent but Levi could have sworn he heard a smirk behind those words. No, he would not be so bold. It was clear Eren had learned his lesson by the way they had walked back in complete and utter silence. But if he really was hiding a smirk Levi would not hold back like how he did in the garden. Wait … Why had he held back?

He sighed irritably, "We'll wait to work that out. Stop slowing us down and hurry up you brat." Eren looked down quickly then began to follow as Levi walked into the makeshift laboratory. Hanji was still picking some things up and putting them in their place. Wires and chemical bottles still laid askew across the rotting wood floor. The candles on the far table were burning lowly, within the hour they would be finished burning.

"Ok, we have some things we need to work out," Hanji stated simply. Eren nodded, Levi said nothing. "Firstly, no running off! Yes I'm looking at you Eren, er – well actually I'm looking at Levi but that's beside the point! You know what I mean," Hanji waved her hands exasperated, "Anyways, secondly, how are you two to go about this? By that I mean who's going to know, how are you going to avoid suspicion if you tell anyone, and so on and so forth?"

"I – I'm … I not sure actually." Eren muttered. Of course he did not. Levi had not exactly thought this far in advanced either but the answer seemed pretty obvious. Levi sighed, bored.

"No one is going to find out period. We can't have people asking questions and spreading rumors. And as for avoiding suspicion," Levi looked at his own body which Eren currently inhabited, "we will have to do our best not to queue others into the situation." It was easier said than done, he knew that much, but what else could they do? Thinking about what had happened was not going to change the past. Granted neither was ignoring it but life _does_ go on. For how long is the real question.

"Hm … That's some pretty big talk. Eren do you think you can manage that?" Hanji asked. Eren looked apprehensive.

"I can try my best. Heichou usually doesn't say much so I think I can manage." Levi raised an eyebrow. Did he just call him quiet? Maybe this kid really was being bold. Had he really not learned what the consequences of being a smart mouth were? That comment made his blood boil although he retained a straight face.

"And I'll try my hardest to be a suicidal loud mouth and we will both be as good as gold." Where had that phrase even come from? He had only ever heard stories about gold. Eren winced at his words. Hanji's mouth was gaping like a fish.

"Ouch! Shot's fired!" She burst into laughter. Levi shot her a dirty look even though she did not appear to have seen it. Clearly whatever perceptive sense she had mustered up earlier was gone because the atmosphere became incredibly tense. Any normal person would have been able to see that but this was Hanji. Eren hung his head down and said nothing. He was already at his wits end with this kid, any other backhanded comment would surely end with the brat's face shoved into the ground. _Again._

Hanji gathered herself before she spoke. "Well then, simple as that right? If only it was that easy. Clearly you two need to brush up on your impersonation skills. Who are those two friends of yours Eren? Misha and Adam? That's not right … Oh well. You seem pretty close to them, won't they be able to see through Levi's act, even if he can put it up well?" Eren looked up at the mention of his friends. Something sparkled behind his eyes that Levi could not quite make out.

"It's Mikasa and Armin and I … I can't say. They've always been pretty perceptive. Mikasa's always been able to spot the most minuscule details. Armin can piece things together quicker than anyone I know. I think it's going to be hard to keep something so huge a secret from them. We've basically grown up our entire lives together …" He trailed off. Hanji looked thoughtful.

"Well then we just have to try our best! What's the worst that could happen anyways?" She smiled, her goofy optimism returning. "Looks like you're going to have to get to know Commander Erwin as well Levi's squad … Erwin may not be the easiest to read and you're already pretty familiar with Levi's squad so I'm sure you'll do great Eren!" Her smile brightened. Levi looked like he was about to be sick. Could this brat really pull this off? If he could not then it would literally cost Levi everything. His friends, his position, and his sanity could all be lost in the process. Eren was a hard-headed and stubborn teenager. It would take a miracle for him to pass as someone the exact opposite to him even if he was in Levi's very own body.

Thinking about it more Levi realized that because he now occupied Eren's body, he would have to act like him. He was just as liable for ruining Eren's life as Eren was for his. That insult he had fired back at the boy had left his lips without a second thought. It was now that he realized the severity of the situation. Levi was going to have to socialized with _Eren's_ friends and perform tasks that were necessary for _Eren_ to complete. He could manage that much but what if someone started to pry? He was also going to be surrounded by hormonal pain-in-the-ass teenagers who would have no idea who he truly was. Great. Just great.

"Levi? Earth to Levi," Hanji wavered her hands obnoxiously close to his face, startling him from his thoughts, "Boy, what were you thinking so hard about?"

He was quick to retort, "Nothing important."

Hanji held up her arms defensively, "Hey I wasn't trying to upset you … I was just wondering if you think we should call it a day. As much as I'm itching to run some more tests and collect blood samples I think it would be best for you two to get some sleep. I don't want to be the reason you two can't function properly when we have a mission coming up so soon." Oh right. The mission. Had the weeks really gone by so quickly? He had nearly forgotten.

"Hanji, you already are the reason we won't be able to function properly. For God sake's I'm not even in my own body because of you." Levi's words were as harsh as he intended them to be. Hanji looked mildly hurt. Yet there was a mischievous glint in her eye.

"I think I've given you both a great blessing actually," Levi and Eren simultaneously gave her an incredulous look, "Oh don't look at me like that! You two can actually better understanding of each other through this! Try to look at it positively, you both can learn so much from each other. Especially you Levi." Levi's eyebrow twitched. Just what position was she in to judge how much he had to learn?

He tried his hardest to bite his tongue. The sooner this conversation was over the better and arguing with the mad woman was only going to draw out it out. Instead he gave her the most unamused look he could muster and said through clenched teeth:

"I'll be making my way to bed now. Thank you for such a lovely chat, sorry I have to cut it so short." His voice was dripping with stale sarcasm. Hanji looked slightly taken back as Levi left the room in a quick huff. After only a few second he heard footsteps pounding on the stone in time with his. Eren did not say anything until they reached the landing. What Levi did not see was his attempt to grab his arm so that the older man would stop, but Eren swiftly decided better of it. He rather liked all of his fingers aligned and not twisted, which is what they most certainly would have been if he actually did touch the Captain.

"Heichou … You never did tell me where you think we should sleep. I mean … There is always the possibility that someone could come for one of us in the middle of the night. I think it would be kind of awkward to have to explain why someone else was in our beds … " He mumbled. Levi had to resist the urge to snap at him to speak up. He did have a good point though. Ugh … Already off to a wonderful start.

"Hm, makes sense. As much as I regret saying it; fine you have my permission to sleep in my room." Eren's expression did not change. In fact he looked slightly worried. "What's wrong brat? Cat got your tongue? It can't be that much of a shock to you. We don't want to raise suspicion after all."

"Um … That's not it …" He coughed shyly. What the hell could be bothering this kid? "I don't know where your room is." Levi made a face. Really? That was what was bothering him so much?

"Fine, I'll take you. You were probably going to get lost anyways." He turned and continued up the stairs. He heard footsteps behind him struggle to keep pace with his. Levi sighed to himself. He really did not like that look Eren had put on Levi's face. It was … embarrassing. It looked out of place. Had he not grown up looking at that face in the mirror he still would have noticed how plainly off it looked. It was weird looking at his own face but knowing he was talking to someone completely different. He wondered if it was the same for Eren. It had to be, they were both in the same horrible situation.

Suddenly a thought hit him so hard it made him pause for a fraction of a second. Eren caught the disturbance somehow and looked up.

"Everything alright?" He asked, timidly and cautiously.

Levi shook his head. "It's nothing." He lied. It was definitely something. This body was unique. It was precious and special to the fate of humanity. It could do something a normal human body could never dream of doing.

It could change into a Titan, and a pretty damn strong one at that.

He had known this since before he had even met Eren. But realizing he was inside this body made him feel sick, again. May be it was from the experiment … The fact that Eren had to bear this burden every day, knowing that every second of everything hour that he was merely a weapon to be used when needed. It was an intimating thought really. He had never thought about how it felt for Eren to hold such a momentous responsibly. Well, he had never had a reason to at least.

Now was not time for sympathizing. Now was the time for sleep, he finally managed to get the source of his many problems to Levi's room. Within a few more silent minutes they reached the top floor. It was one of four and the only one currently in use. No one would see what looked like Eren leading Levi to his own room. Of course that was not the case, but he did not even want to imagine having to explain that to anyone. Eren followed closely behind Levi. When he closed the door quietly the boy made his way to the middle of the room, taking in the new surroundings.

Levi turned around and pointed to the closet along the farthest wall, "Change my clothes. Their filthy," He pointed to each place as he spoke, "Obviously that's the bed, the bathroom is outside, second door to the right, and avoid talking to people although I'm certain there are only a few people in the building at this time of the evening. That's the only window so if it gets stuffy just open that." Why was he being so generous to the brat? He was going to have to sleep in a dungeon tonight while this reckless kid occupied his room for the night. He should not be feeling so liberal towards him.

"That's all. Don't touch anything else or poke your nose into places you know it shouldn't be. If any of the papers on my desk are so much as moved an inch I will be able to tell." Levi concluded. Eren looked around the room one more time before his eyes settled back to Levi. He muttered a soft 'yes sir' and 'thank you' and with that Levi turned to make his decent down the stairs into the stale basement.

It seemed like it took less time to go down and within a few minutes he rounded the corner to make his way down the dungeon's steps. It was dark, a single torch lit a small circle in the corner of the musty room. The stone walls and floors echoed coldly. It reminded him of the dungeon when he had first met Eren, just before he beat the shit out of him in open court. He did have to admit he felt a little guilt for the whole ordeal but it was necessary and he knew Eren knew that as well. Or at least, he thought he did.

This was not the same room though, only an identical copy. The two of them had relocated to the building, which was within the wall of Sina, that Hanji had instructed so that she could perform her much anticipated experiments on Eren. It really was a pain to have to follow the kid but he had taken it upon himself to watch the brat and keep him alive as long as necessary. Such a bothersome task, really. He had a squad to look after and a duty to his subordinates in the Survey Corps.

The metal door was open, surprisingly enough, and the sheets were a haphazardly strewn mess across the worn out straw mattress. The little furnishings the room had were covered in a thick, vile layer of dirt. The floor was painted with muddy boot tracks and dried blood. Levi scrunched his nose. It was filthy. How could anyone sleep in such a revolting excuse for a room? It was a dungeon after all but the least the kid could have done was clean up.

Levi sighed. He had a long night ahead of himself.

{A/N: Sorry for the wait. I was hoping I could have gotten this chapter up quicker but you know how life is ...

I'm considering changing the story to angst instead of adventure because I've got some ideas for the story. I'm sorry if you don't want to read that kind of thing. Also if your looking for smut, you're not going to find it here. I don't write smut at all. If you're looking for that content then I suggest you look for another fic, most likely in the mature category.

Reviews, favorites and bookmarks are always appreciated! They keep me motivated! Thank you for your wonderful feedback! It means so much to me! Stay tuned because things are about to get interesting~!}


	4. Chapter 4

Eren's eyes fluttered open, his mind hazy. Light spilled lazily from behind the window curtains as they swayed in the warm breeze. Weird, he did not even remember opening the window. His sheets were still in place though, which only confused him more. Where was he again? He fingered with the clean white sheets below him then jolted upright.

He was in the Corporal's room!

Memories of the night before flooded his mind. The disastrous experiment with Hanji, arguing with Levi, tossing and turning the entire night until he finally fell into a limbo-like sleep. It all came back to him. Maybe his mind was being so slow because of what had happened. Whatever the reason was, the swell of memories almost left him lightheaded. He lifted his hand up to cover his left eye in order to steady his thoughts. What now? Hanji and Levi had said last night that they were going to have to 'avoid suspicion' if the two of them were to stay like this. Stay of course only meaning as long as they had to.

Eren let his hand flop lazily onto the cotton. The room was sparse, but Eren did not expect anything less from the clean obsessed Captain. No personal trinkets laid on the desk, and a lack of casual clothing supported the modesty of the older man. _He's very … minimalistic_, Eren mused as he swung his legs out of the covers and onto the wooden floor.

He could faintly hear birds chirping at each other from outside the window. Following the sound, he made his way over. It was another beautiful morning. Judging by the position of the sun it was around ten a.m. Clouds swirled indolently across the blue canvas. The chlorophyll of the leaves had just begun to tint the tress outside a yellow-ish green color, promising the annual arrival of fall. The air was warm and carried a comfortable breeze that played with his hair. The buildings outside somehow managed to look less dreary and stark even with the imminent threat of Titans looming just outside the walls. Eren had never witnessed a more flawless morning. He liked times like this. When he could stop and enjoy what he still had. He did not get to do it often, dare he say never, but when he could Eren found himself forgetting about the hectic lifestyle he now lived as a member of the Survey Corps. He wondered if any of the other members and leaders occasionally took time to realize what they still had and how beautiful the world was. Beautiful and cruel, he had heard Mikasa say once. Eren let his heavy eyes fall closed.

"Oi Eren, you can't sleep forever you know."

Eren jumped at the sound of a familiar voice. He opened his eyes to see himself; well, more accurately Levi, and shot straight up from where he had begun dozing off. Even though Levi was in his body the authority his voice possessed had not disappeared. He could hear it clearly even though the voice he had used was his own. Levi stood in the doorway, poised nonchalantly as he leaned against the door. He looked bored.

"Oh! Captain, I'm sorry I didn't mean to doze off. I was about to get ready to leave I swear -"

"Stop apologizing. Get your stuff together so we can go. I don't want to be here any longer than we have to." Levi interrupted. His tone and body language left no room for further discussion. Eren nodded and Levi turned to leave.

As Levi walked down the steps to get to ground level he replayed the scene that had just occurred in his head again. He had walked to his old room to wake Eren up, rather annoyed from the lack of sleep he had gotten himself. When he arrived there he not only found Eren awake, but looking out the window with a particularly distant stare. It was weird seeing himself and knowing it was Eren but it was then as he stood looking off he could see the boy peeking through. His curiosity peeked and he found himself staring. He could see the gears turning in his head; clearly he was deep in thought. He did not know why he was staring. It was interesting to see someone (even though the person he was looking at was actually himself) so focused on the world outside. For all he knew Eren could have been thinking about how he was still going to kill all the titans. But something in his eyes told Levi that was not the case. They were too soft and relaxed for him to be thinking about something so taxing and utterly insane. He did not know how long he watched the boy, but he regained his senses when Eren fell back asleep and he decided to wake him.

He reached the end of the stair case and made his way to the outside world. Hanji was waiting for the two of them, so Levi explained why it was just him. She nodded and they stood in front of the cart that was to take them back to headquarters.

…

Eren hurriedly run about the room. _Where in the world did Levi keep his shoes?!_ He had checked the closet half a dozen times but he only could find a couple pairs of pants and some plain shirts. He obviously had the shoes last night. Where could they have gone? He did not realize it but he was going a circular pattern, checking the closet, then under the desk and the nightstand, and then back to the closet. What he did know was that the he was making the two of them late. The Corporal was going to be furious.

He stumbled around, checking the same places over and over again. He did not notice the sound of footsteps ascending the staircase nor did he notice how annoyed the person coming up was.

"Eren I swear, if you don't get your ass downstairs I'm going to –" Levi's threat was cut short as he collided with a panicking Eren, sending them both tumbling to the ground. Eren landed on top of the shorter man, his face buried in his chest.

"Ouch, wow that really –" The brunet stopped as he looked up. His jaw dropped and his breath hitched in his throat. His face was beet red, which looked really odd compared to how expressionless and pale Levi's face normally was. "AH! Heichou, I – I swear I never –" He stuttered.

"If you don't get off of me right now I'll kick you so hard it will be painful to even _think_ of having children." Levi growled. Eren made a small squeak and quickly scrambled to his feet. He stepped back, eyes on his superior the whole time. Levi groaned slightly as the he sat up. "Damn, I didn't realize I was so heavy."

"I'm so sorry! I never meant to run into you Heichou. It was an accident, I - I can't find your shoes." Eren said, his words came out so quickly they meddled together. Levi gave an annoyed huffed in response. He began to stand up but something stopped him a crouching position.

"Tell me you're kidding Jaeger," Eren simply looked at him confused, "My shoes are under the bed you dipshit." He resisted the urge to face palm. Sure they had switched bodies, but the kid had at least taken some of the little intelligent he had with him right? Levi sighed hopelessly. Eren bowed hastily and nearly tripped again as he made his way over the bed.

"Thank you so much sir!" Eren put the boots on hurriedly. Levi got to his feet.

"Just get down here before I go back to headquarters without you." He mumbled. With that he was gone again. Eren let out a tense breath he did not realize he had been holding in. His face was still red and him mind was fluttering a million miles a minute. Why was he freaking out so much, it was just Levi? Maybe it was how he had threatened him. Maybe it was how close they had become so quickly. Whatever the case was he was not going to dwell on it too long. It was in the past after all. Even if the past was less than one minute ago.

…

The cart ride back was quiet and awkward. The clatter of the horse's hooves as well as the creaking of the wooden wheels were the only sounds worth concentrating on. Neither of the two spoke a word. Levi looked around them at the passing trees, visibly uninterested. Eren looked down, tracing the lines of the wood with his eyes over and over again until he had memorized every twist and turn in the material. He and the Captain had never had much to talk about in the first place. It was no surprise neither was in the mood to speak. Since there was nothing to keep his mind occupied with he recalled the conversation he and Levi had with Hanji just before she herself departed on a different errand.

"_I'm sure we will be fine until you get back." Levi grunted. Eren nodded in agreement._

"_And I'm sure you will be able to figure this out when you get back to! I trust your skills as a scientist Hanji." Eren beamed. Hanji smiled._

"_You know I never would have thought I would hear you say something like that Levi." Her smile turned playful. Eren was slightly confused, but Levi seemed to understand the quip._

"_Now you shut your –"_

"_Ops! Looks like I've got to get going! Now don't forget what we talked about. You both have to make this act very believable or else we are all in deep trouble. I believe in you two! I'll be back in a couple days. I'm off to check up on Sawney and Bean. Don't worry, I'll be back in time for the mission." Hanji said. She threw the rest of her science equipment into the back of her cart. Within a matter of minutes she gone, riding over the hill towards the camp were the precious Sawney and Bean were being held under observation._

_Eren sighed despondently. Levi gave him a sideways glance._

"_Come on. We don't want to be any later than we already are."_

Levi had told him that Erwin would be waiting for him when they arrived. Their next mission was soon and they still needed to tie up loosed ends such as gathering supplies and properly preparing the horses. Levi had expressed how it was taxing work, but he was to do it none the less. In fact, that was the only thing he had expressed. He had yet to reveal any more information about what it was like surrounded by such wearing demands as the Corporal. Due to this Eren was preparing for the worst. The job seemed like a lot to handle and he was not quite sure if he was prepared.

What Eren did not know was that Levi was panicking internally as well. He would never let it show (although being in Eren's body did make that a difficult task), but he found himself intimated by the thought of having to live up the standards Eren's friends had for him. Ha, what a thought. _Levi intimated_. He could not help but to snort at the ridiculous notion. They were just teenagers. On the other hand what if they caught on? Now there was a situation he did not want find himself in. He continued to battle with himself as he stared off into the passing fields. They approached the gate that separated Sina from Rose.

The light of day was waxing old as the sun's rays barely extended over the top of the wall. The fleeting light cast an orange filter over everything; welcoming the coming evening. They had been riding on the back of the military cart for some time now (Eren lost count somewhere around the fourth hour). It was a long trip, as they had to cross Sina to get closest to their headquarters within Rose. It did not help that either of the two males refused to speak.

Eren looked across the cart at Levi. Again, he was a little taken back to see his body sitting there. It was going to take longer than he thought to get used to … Levi looked thoughtful as his eyes fixed on something distant in the fields. It was interesting to see how easily his expressions were now displayed due to him being in Eren's body. He did not know what to do or say so he just watched the man for a few moments.

It only took a split second for Levi to notice. Eren saw awareness flicker in the corner of his eyes before he turned to face him. Eren made a noiseless 'ek' as he abruptly turned to mimic what the Captain had been doing. The fields past slowly as he tried to focus, abet failing, on something interesting. Had Levi noticed? What was he thinking staring at the Corporal like that?! Was he really that bored?

Levi simply narrowed his eyes. The boy surely was not discreet even if he was Levi's body. Some things never change. He choose not to say anything and continued watching nothing in particular so his gaze would not flicker to the male across from him.

…

"Glad to see you made it back safely." Erwin greeted them as they exited the cart. Both rubbed the stiffness from their joints. When Eren did not respond Levi nudged him as unobtrusively as possible. Eren tensed.

"Yes of course." He said. Damn, they were already off to a bad start. He would never have said something so formal. Eren was talking like how he did normally around his superiors. Levi did not talk to Erwin like that unless it was necessary; they had known each other too long. Usually he would have muttered something like: "What did you expect?" or "Sorry to disappoint." Erwin did not seem to notice the reply. Or at least if he did he did not say anything about it.

"I trust you both did not run into any problems while away?" They both nodded. Erwin smiled, "Well that's good news. I'm afraid time is limited though. Eren, I'll have to send you back to trainee's headquarters in order to prepare for the upcoming mission. An escort should be arriving any minute. Levi, I'm going to need you to come with me." Erwin was straight to the point as usual. Levi nodded. Eren did not speak or move as Erwin turned to leave, excepting him to follow.

Levi roughly grabbed the shirt Eren was wearing and pulled him close enough so that he could speak in his ear. The notion was so quick Eren did not have any time to react. Levi swiftly took his hand and put it on his shoulder.

"S-Sir I don't –" Eren stuttered.

"Shut up and listen to me. I put your hand on my shoulder to make it more believable. You're me remember. _Levi._ You will act like me. You got it? If you don't we are going to have a problem. If you do anything to make Erwin or the rest of my squad betray their trust in _me_ I will kill you. I don't care if you are in my body. Do I make myself clear?" Levi hissed.

Eren nodded. "Crystal." He looked like he was about to have a heart attack.

"Now go. I'll do my part so long as you do yours." With that he resisted the urge to push him away but he knew that would look suspicious. Eren stepped back and, not without hesitation, turned to follow the commander. Levi sighed. He looked over to the cart to see that the escort had in fact arrived.

He did not know how they were going to pull this off, but they would.

…

Levi waited bored. He had never ridden in a cart so much in his life. It was starting to get irritating. The dust and grim that piled up in layers on his clothes bothered him to no end. Thankfully the trainee's headquarters were now in sight. He could faintly make out two heads of blond and black hair standing on the porch. It was starting to get dark now and dinner was most likely about to start. They really were dedicated to Eren, waiting for him like this. He was not going to be so quick to say that he admired that. It was actually kind of annoying. Surely they had better things to do.

Less than a minute later they pulled up in front of the building. The blonde's face lit up when Levi briefly made eye contact with him. He tried to hide the disgusted look he wanted to give the boy. He did not know why he bothered him. In fact as far as knew the kid was brilliant. But maybe that was why he perturbed him. He could possibly see through the act Levi was begin forced to keep up. Best to be on his toes especially around this kid.

"Eren! Oh my god it's almost been a week! Mikasa and I thought you were never coming back!" He hopped down the steps to greet Levi. Levi took the belongings his escort handed him. He was not sure what to say. Trying not to be awkward, which he most definitely failed at, he half-smiled.

"I was gone to have some tests run on me by shitty four-ey –" Levi stopped himself. Crap, crap. Play it off, play it off, "Hanji. You know how she is." Did they? Did they even know who Hanji was? All he knew right now was that he had already almost blown his cover. He studied Armin carefully. The boy still looked elated, but something flicked in his eyes that Levi could not quite read.

"Oh alright. She didn't mess you up too bad did she? I've heard her experiments can be pretty extensive." The blond said. Levi shook his head. He heard some shuffling behind the boy as the darker haired girl, Mikasa, came into view.

"Are you sure? She didn't hurt you did she." Eren's horrendous screams suddenly echoed in his head. It was painful even to remember.

"No, she didn't. Everything went fine." He stated rather bluntly. Mikasa narrowed her eyes, not convinced, but dropped it none the less. The air suddenly became tense as they stood unmoving outside. The blond shuffled uncomfortably in between the two.

"So … I'm not sure if you want to return your stuff back to your room. Dinner is about to start so we were going to go inside and wait. We can come with you if you want us to."

Levi shook his head, "Its fine."

"Um, ok. We'll met you inside then." The blond said, unsure. He turned and tugged on Mikasa's sleeve to get her to follow. She was hesitant but followed only a step behind the other as they entered the building. Once they disappeared Levi let out an anxious sigh. That went great. Just perfect.

He picked up the little amount of luggage Eren had brought. Then he remembered. He did not know where Eren stayed here in headquarters. He looked up and closed his eyes. He had heard stories about a 'God' as well as stories about the goddesses of the wallists but he just hoped that whoever was up there was watching out for him.

It turned out some higher power was aiding him because after spending some time wandering around the camp he finally ran into someone who surprising lived in the bunk just below where Eren slept. He cautiously followed the teenager back.

When they entered their quarters Levi nearly dropped his luggage. The place was a mess! A complete and utter disaster! Clothes laid scattered about on beds and across the floors. Beds remained unmade and the curtains on the windows hung lazily down. It smelled like testosterone and stale sweat. It was almost too much. The boy walked into one of the side rooms that Levi could only have assumed was where he needed to go as well. When he came in the boy looked for something, found it, and said his farewells as he left for dinner. Levi was left alone.

After placing all of the thing's Eren had brought onto his bed Levi tried to find his way back to the main hall. He was starving after a long day of riding in the back of a cart. He and Eren had hardly eaten a thing since they had left that morning. Levi only hoped he had not lucked out and missed dinner completely.

He got lost several more times but managed to find his way back to the eating hall just in time for the last of dinner. Avoiding speaking to anyone, Levi quickly grabbed his rations and scanned the hall. The blond from earlier waved a hand to him and called:

"Eren! Over here!"

He was sitting across from Mikasa, as Levi had expected, along with a few other familiar looking faces. He had seen these kids before. They all had joined the Survey Corps along with Eren. Each of the teens greeted him with a smile or quick hello and then resumed their chatter. He sat down and began picking at his meal while listening to the conversations around him.

"And so I got to there before Sasha and killed that stupid Titan." A small kid with a buzz cut boasted. A few people made a disgusted face or scoffed.

"You only got there before me because I had just apprehended another Titan! Don't act so high and mighty there Connie. It was just for practice." A girl with brunette hair in a ponytail said. He assumed that was Sasha.

"What was that Connie, your second kill?" A taller boy with pale brown hair and an undercut snickered. Connie looked offended.

"My _fifth_ thank you very much Jean." He shot back. It sounded harsh, but Levi could tell they were playing around. Jean grinned and slapped him on the back.

"Well then glad to hear it buddy."

Levi began to tune them out as no conversation was directed towards him. The blond (he was getting really tired of calling him that) chatted with Connie who sat across from him. When he looked up from his plate he noticed Mikasa staring at him from across the table. Suddenly annoyed that he could not even eat his _damn dinner_ without being interrupted he snapped:

"Can I help you?" Mikasa looked unamused. He had heard about her before. From Eren and from others around him. She was rumored to be worth as many as a thousand soldiers as well as colder than ice. Eren had said she was, but that when you got under her chilly exterior you would met someone more caring and selfless than any saint. He found that hard to believe.

"You seem distant. It's not like you." Damn. Really, so soon? He was supposed to last more than an hour before anyone started to notice an evident change in is personality. Levi merely shrugged, trying to look nonchalant.

"It's been a long few days." He could not think of anything else to say. Even if he did he would probably just screw things up even more. He did not like that thought. Levi always had the situation in control. Now he was stuck, afraid to speak for fear of what he might say and afraid to stay quiet for fear that someone may take notice. This entire situation was getting annoying and he was not above letting that show.

Mikasa once again, did not say anything. She did however, continue to watch him like a hawk. He was about to say something to her when a voice interrupted and cut him short.

"Hey Eren." It was Jean. Levi did not know much about the kid or Eren's relationship with him. This was going to be interesting, he could just feel it.

"How did the experiments go back in Sina?" The sarcasm in his tone was evident, "They didn't push your buttons to hard they?" Levi turned slowly to look at the teenager. He was beyond slapping some sense into the boy's head. Or maybe ponding. Pounding would definitely work too.

"As a matter of fact they did not. Nothing was out of the ordinary or even worth mentioning." He lied. Jean chuckled.

"Aw covering up for you superiors now Jaeger? It's cute really. I wonder just how far the Captain has you wrapped around his finger." Jean sneered. Connie muttered something in warning to him. Levi had to admit he was a little taken back by the comment. Eren? Wrapped around his finger?

As entertaining as the thought was he knew Eren was not one to back down from a fight. Maybe he and Jean butted heads more often than not. The guy was actually starting to bother Levi as well. If Eren and Jean did fight often he could faintly see why.

"What's there to cover up? I told you, _nothing happened_." He crossed his arms and resisted the urge to do the same with his legs. Jean eyed him for a moment before muttering:

"Even if they did something like shoving a stick up your ass I bet you'd like it."

Levi's eyes hardened. What had he just said? Shove a stick up his ass? That was fucking unsanitary. He was done with this bullshit. Now he had to shut the punk up. Jean did the same, a triumphant smirk slapped across his face. Levi ignored the blond's pleads beside him to sit down and forget about it.

"Eren, please. He's not worth it." Levi did not care. If this was how the brat always talked to Eren, or anyone for that matter, then he needed to be taught a lesson in shutting the hell up. As he stalked over to where Jean stood he was filled with a sense of déjà vu. He had done the exact same thing Eren only a day ago. Now he was face to face with a different brat. Now he would not hold back. He had no need to.

It was a childish thing really, giving into what the taller male clearly wanted. Sadly, the logic he held so dear had jumped out the window last night after Levi and Eren switched bodies. He could only feel the annoyance that swelled under this body's skin. While the body was not his all of the emotions inside it were.

"I'll be a gentleman and let the lady throw the first punch." Jean nearly whispered. Something snapped in the back of his mind. This punk was lucky he was not in his own body. He knew how to fight more efficiently that way. Levi's swiftly glanced at the rest of the hall.

All eyes were on them. Better make this good.

Before Jean could say another word Levi aimed a fist at his stomach. As anticipated, Jean attempted to block the attack. It only took Levi a second to seize his hand and twist it so it was straight out in front of him. Jean looked genuinely surprised at his blindingly fast reflexes. Levi wasted no time and yanked his arm forward while he flung his foot underneath the other boy's as he stumbled. As gravity pulled Jean forward Levi, still holding onto his arm, pushed his other shoulder down as hard as he could. A loud thud echoed throughout the eating hall as Jean collided with the wooden floor. No one spoke.

Jean groaned. Levi just stood where he was, looking down on him. Well that was no fun. The brat hardly put up a fight. A little disappointed he returned to his seat next to the blond and resumed eating. All eyes were still trained heavily on him. Everyone at the table was stunned speechless. Levi just did what he always did to those he could not give a damn about. He ignored them.

The boy with the buzz cut was the first to move. He knelt down beside the crumpled heap of a man that was supposed to pass for a soldier. Levi did not see what help he administered. He did not really care after all. Was he still bitter for having switched bodies? Yes, but he really did have grounds to be upset. Switching bodies is not exactly a lacking excuse.

But it was an excuse, plain and simple.

"Um … Eren? If it's not too much to ask, how did you learn to move so quickly? You were moving so fast you were blurry." The boy said. He shifted in his seat. Levi let out a tense laugh to cover his panic. Woops …

"I think you're giving me too much credit," He changed the line had heard Hanji say once, "I've been training just as hard as you all have." A few murmurs broke out among the trainees. People returned to whatever it was they had been doing before but not without sending a few skeptical glances Levi's way. Levi sighed. Mikasa and the blonde boy stared and him, expecting an answer but received none. Levi walked over to the trash, disposed of the remaining rations, and exited without so much as another word.

{A/N: Wow, I surprised myself with how quickly I got done with this chapter. I introduced some new characters this time around so things can progress. Sorry Jean's such a dick. I mean, he always is, but more so than usual. Oh and I decided to change it to angst after all, so be prepared for future chapters!

As always reviews, favorites, and follows make my day and are greatly appreciated! I apologize for any spelling or grammar errors as well as any OOC-ness. There is going to be a mission coming up real soon so stay tuned~!}


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